Why is it called a "centerboard" if it can be located any where on the vessel. I'll agree that a centerboard pivots, but if it can be located anywhere on the vessel why isn't it called a "swing board" or "pivot board"???

Ex: the mast on a catamaran is located where??? On the centerline of the vessel. The boards on an I20 maybe on the cenerline of the hulls but that is different then the "centerline" of the vessel. My P19 has pivoting/swinging boards but they are not on the center-line of the "vessel". I remember a definition from "Power Squadron" classes that a centerboard trunk was located on the "keel-line" of the traditional monohull sailboat.

Maybe the issue is that when "centerboard" was origonally defined nobody thought of a Catamaran.

HarryMurphey
H18mag/#9458, Fleet54/Div11
P19mx w/spin /#86, CRAC